Because I love you
by Confusedknight
Summary: Knighthood, the honour above all others: some strive for glory, some seek fame, others serve their country. One boy did it for love.
1. Prologue

(-a/n- Firstly and most importantly this is not only written by me but also **Queenoftheostlers **as a kind of summer project. It isn't going to be amazingly long, but it was a cute little idea involving Princess Lianne, who doesn't normally get much of a mention in the world of fanfiction.)

Enjoy!

**Confusedknight** & **Queenoftheostlers** xxx

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**"If you love someone more than anything, **

**then distance only matters to the mind, not to the heart."**

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And that was it, the truth was out. After eight years of secrecy and lies, they knew, knew my secret I had worked so hard to hide and protect. I looked up into a sea of shocked, hurt and angry faces. The silence rebounded through the hall; no one moved no one spoke. Suddenly a movement caught my eye, glossy black hair whipping out of sight through an open door and then I knew, knew I had to explain, make her understand.

The hall erupted into hushed whispers, mounting to full scale chaos as I hurried after her, voices following me down the corridor. It didn't take me long to find her, she was sitting on a bench staring up at the stars and as she turned to face me her eyes were overflowing with tears. I was inwardly shocked, in all my years of knowing her she had never cried, she had always been so strong yet here she was, the tears falling thick and fast, and the knowledge that I was the cause of all her painlay heavy on my heart.

'Lianne…' I started, but then I realised I didn't know what to say. What words could describe the feelings inside me that were so intense they had changed my life forever? What words could possibly convey to her all that I had been through, only to find that the unavoidable truth had hurt her deeper than I could've ever imagined. My hopes crushed, I realised at the very least I should attempt to explain my actions, but before I could clear my throat she looked up, and her crystal blue eyes catching mine she said simply,

'Why?'

It was such a simple question, yet the answer was so complex it would involve reliving the better part of eight years, eight years in which I lived in hope, that one day she could love and accept me for who I am, Dan Hayes son of a merchant and not Daniel of Riversend. And summoning up all the courage I possessed I replied in four simple words.

'Because I love you.'

This is the story, my story, my life.

(-a/n- Short but hopefully you're interested, please review and tell us what you think and we'll update really soon!)


	2. The way it all started

(-a/n- la la la! Tum te tum … what are we doing again? Oh yeah writing a chapter.., got it…here goes)

Thanks to our reviewers **Aly the Spy****Phoenix Fanatic****Drop Your Oboe****, Aidenrae, ****Nubia****x17SkmBdrchiczxx**

**Confusedknight & Queenoftheostlers**

xxx

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The day started just as normally as every other day in my life had. I got up and after grabbing a hunk of bread I hurried out of the back door to the tavern named the 'Dancing Dove.' I had been staying at the 'Dancing Dove' for almost a year now, ever since my father, a merchant of spices and fine materials had died when his ship sunk just off the coast of the Copper Isles. Ma and Emma, my younger sister who was only 5 at the time of the shipwreck, went to live with my Aunt Carris in the farming country near Barony Olau. I however, aged 9 came to the city to look for work. It was then that I met Tem who offered me work in return for food, lodgings and a small pay. Tem was part of a spy network that ranged across the Eastern lands and islands; in Corus they called it the Rogue. My work involved running errands, eavesdropping and helping in the kitchens and stables of the Inn.

On this particular day I made my way across the winding streets of Corus to deliver a letter to a mysterious man who went by the name of Felix. After completing my task, I must've wandered aimlessly for a bit, for when I returned to the Inn Cook sent me with a list and a jangling purse to buy ingredients for that evening's supper. So there I was, in the bustling market of Corus, selecting fresh apples from rotten ones when a shadow fell across the basket. I turned around and gazed up into the face of Crown Prince Roald.

'Can you pass us up two apples please?' Asked Prince Roald.

As I did so, the prince flicked two copper pieces at the stallholder, then he turned to his companion and passed her an apple. I glanced up and stared at his companion, she looked about 10 or so, and she bore a strong resemblance to Prince Roald. She had the same glossy balck hair thought it was tied back elegantly in a plait and her blue eyes sparkled. She grinned widely as her brother tossed her the sweet fruit.

'Come on Lianne,' said Prince Roald, and they turned their horses round and moved slowly away through the milling crowd. I stood transfixed a s she rode off with her brother. Suddenly a voice jolted me out of my reverie.

'Are you gonna pay for those apples?' Demanded the stallholder. So I paid up and returned to the Dancing Dove in a daze, having forgotten to buy the rest of the ingredients for that evenings meal. But throughout the rest of the day; as I was sent back for the missing ingredients, as I mucked out the stables and delivered important messages, I couldn't rid myself of the image of that girl. It seemed to be imprinted on my brain, and when I lay down to sleep that night I knew I had to see the Princess again.

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Several weeks later a chance to see the Princess arose. It was the Queen's birthday celebration and as all the pages had returned home for the summer, they needed boys to act as waiters and servingmen for the night. The pay was small but it could provide me with an opportunity to see Princess Lianne again, so I signed up immediately. On the night we were all dressed up neatly and scurried around fetching and carrying, pouring wine and serving the many guests who had been invited.

At last I spotted her, on the high table with her parents, her three brothers and her elder sister who was due to soon become Empress of Carthak, when she married later on that year. All of the family looked very alike, but she was something special, she had undoubtedly inherited her mothers beauty but her father's charming smile. Unfortunately only the trained footmen were allowed to wait on the high table, but whilst serving other tables I tried to watch her subtly as she laughed, ate and talked with her family.

That night had opened my eyes to the differences between us, she was on the high table, dining with the most important people in the country, and I was holding finger bowls out to some of the unheard of nobles from fiefs far away. As the music started, all the guests stood up and it was our job to clear the tables as quickly as possible and move them to the edge of the room.

Later on as the dancing continued, I was asked by a surly, broad-shouldered man if I would replace the empty the pitchers of wine, situated at the side of the ballroom. So I skirted around the edge of the dance floor carrying a fresh pitcher of wine, it was heavy and took me a lot of effort not to spill it. As I was replacing the empty pitcher with a new one, the Princess came over, she walked straight past me and stopped a few metres away in front of a boy with dark black hair, they began to engage in an animated conversation and again it struck me that to her I was nothing.

I lay in bed that night and stared at the eaves of the roof, deep in thought. I was so convinced, like a fool in love that if she could just get to know me then everything would turn out right somehow. I just needed her to notice me, and there was no way that was going to happen at the present. I was just a boy from the lower city, worth nothing to anyone. Little did I know how important this would be the next day, when I made a decision that would change my life forever.

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Please review, Confusedknight & Queenoftheostlers xxx 


	3. Turning point

**(-a/n-** Hello notre amies! We are back again :D Sorry for the lack of quick updates but it takes us a long time to write a chapter…for one thing we have to be round one of our houses and although that is quite often, we then have to focus our little brains on the task and try to prevent distractions… so as you can see it takes quite a while…Anyway thanks for the encouraging reviews :D )

**Nubia**Thanks!

**Phoenix Fanatic: **Thanks! Not really AU, it will fit in with Tamora Pierce's amazing stories, but focusing on own character…

**Erytha**Thanks! Ok we'll try to make them a bit longer…

**ILoveIt09**Thanks!

**Aly the Spy**Thankies!

**On top of cloud 9: **Thanks!

**Moonprincess202**Thanks! (I'm so original…sorry)

Confusedknight & Queenoftheostlers

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'Its getting to be a real problem, the King's spy network is too good, ever since the whisper man started to work for the King. We can't even get a good spy in the palace, the whisper man knows all in our network and even old Stephan, who would send us word, works more for Cooper and the crown. We need someone in there who can be in the midst of things, even if we can just gain news from the nobles, the nobles aren't all as stupid as they look, they know when troubles brewing in their neighbouring lands, someone in the Palace who could report back to us. Someone whom Cooper doesn't know, someone who can sit under their noses and not attract unwanted attention.'

'That's all very well, but, actually finding someone and finding them a position in which they could do all that would be nigh on impossible.'

Voices drifted up to me, as I lay in a warm blanket of sleep. It was still early in the morning, about an hour before sunrise. The room below mine in the tavern was often used for important meetings, and it being quite an old building the voices often drifted up through the draughty floorboards, allowing me an insight into everything that was going on with the Rogue.

Deciding that I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep no matter how hard I tried, I got up, dressed in a shirt and short breeches, and walked sleepily down the stairs. As I was walking along the corridor below, heading for the stairs and the kitchens. The door to my left opened and out came the two men who I had overheard talking earlier. They were still in the midst of a heated discussion and didn't notice me, until they knocked into me and sent me sprawling to the floor.

'Sorry lad, didn't see you there,' said a man with a beard.

The other man, who was tall and dark-skinned, however was staring at me.

'That's it,' he said.

'What's it?' said the other man irritably.

'You didn't notice the lad just then did you?'

'No,' said the man slowly.

'And you said you needed a spy in the Palace who wouldn't be noticed…'

'Yeah…'

'So why don't we put a lad into the palace, he can train with the pages.'

'He would be in the middle of all banquets, serving and such like.'

'His friends would know what was happening in their own fiefs.'

'He would have access to most areas.'

'He would be trusted among the nobles, pretending to be one himself and all.'

By now both men, their faces alight, were hurriedly turning the idea over in their minds. I sat on the floor watching them.

The dark skinned man, suddenly seemed to remember where he was, seeing me still on the floor, he offered me a hand and pulled me to my feet.

'Lad, I think you've just helped solve our problems,' he beamed.

The other man was also staring at me, 'What's your name lad, I've seen you hanging round the kitchens of the Dove before?'

'Dan, Dan Hayes.'

'You got family Dan? Friends in the city?'

'No,' I replied, 'my family live in the country.'

'How would you like to become a page in the Royal Palace?'

My mind reeling with shock, I stared at the two men, it had to be fate, only hours after I had vowed to make the Princess notice me, I was being offered that very chance. I didn't care for knighthood and glory, that all seemed beyond me, a simple merchant's son, but the title 'Page' would make it acceptable for me to commune with Lianne, I mean some of her brothers were training to be knights, and to live at the Palace all year.

'A Page? Really?'

'Yes, bet you never thought you would end up in the Palace did you?'

'But I'm no noble, they only let the sons of wealthy fiefs, who own land and titles and everything…' I trailed away.

'We can sort that out, but this will be our secret, right? You'll tell no one where you're going, and you're to stay away from the Dove for a year or so, so no one will recognise you. Basically you'll train as a page and if you hear any information you think would interest us, you'll pass it on. We might ask you to do a bit of digging while you're there but nothing more than that.'

'By Mithros, I'll laugh when the realise one of their 'pure-blooded knights' glory of the realm, was brought up among thieves and peasants.'

'It'll be hard lad, but it'll pave a way for a certain future, you think you can do it? There'll be no going back once you're in there?'

And so it was, the pivot, the turning moment in my life, when I decided to renounce the future laid before me and to take a different path, a path of knighthood and freedom from growing up a servant, struggling to support my mother and sister.

'I'll do it.'

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And so two weeks later I found myself standing in front of a large mirror in the privy of my new room in the palace. I was scrubbed from head to foot, given a new identity and dressed in the smart red and gold uniform of a Page.

I stared at myself, as though seeing myself for the first time. The crisp new uniform looked over large on my skinny frame and in my opinion was far too grand. But I chided myself, I was Daniel of Riversend now and there was no going back. My blonde hair flopped over my tanned face and my green eyes stared back at me with a level gaze. Having been cleaned up and fed well for the last two weeks had dramatically changed my appearance, I was still skinny for my average height, but I could just about pass as a younger son from a small fief and for now that would do.

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Please review,

**Confusedknight & Queenoftheostlers xxx**


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